340 



THE GARDENER. 



[July 



before they become matted. Toma- 

 toes require frequent attention, water- 

 ing with liquid manure when plenty 

 of fruit is set. Those in pots need 

 rich surfacing, and should be allowed 

 to root through into rich material. No 

 useless laterals should be allowed to 



grow, and the plants should be trained 

 according as growth is made. 



Manure for an early Mushroom-bed 

 may be collected. Keep it free from 

 wet and not allowed to exhaust itself. 

 Gather and dry herbs in the shade. 

 M. T. 



FORCING DEPARTMENT. 



Pines. — If the weather should be 

 such as is generally looked for in 

 July, tire-heat even in the coldest 

 localities will not be much required ; 

 and in the warmer parts of the 

 country it will be almost entirely 

 superseded by the more invigorating, 

 because natural, heat of the sun. 

 Still, if a time of dull wet weather 

 should occur, fires must be lighted 

 to keep the atmosphere in pits and 

 houses from stagnating, and the heat 

 from falling much below the maxi- 

 mum. Succession plants for fruiting 

 early next season wall, under favour- 

 able conditions, be growing very 

 rapidly, and every precaution must 

 be exercised to preveut them making 

 a soft drawn growth. Liberal sup- 

 plies of fresh air on all fine days is 

 the chief agent in producing a robust 

 and fruitful growth. As soon as the 

 temperature touches 75° in the morn- 

 ing, give a little air, and increase 

 it at intervals till noon, when, in 

 warm calm weather, a free circulation 

 of air should play about the plants. 

 Syringe these every fine afternoon 

 through a fine rose at shutting-up 

 time, which should be sufficiently 

 early to run up the heat to 85° for 

 a time. The night temperature at 

 10 p.m. should be 75°, allowing it to 

 fall to 70° in the morning. Owing to 

 the backwardness of the season, some 

 of the early Queens, which are gen- 

 erally all cut by this time, may be 

 just finishing off, and can be removed 

 to any cooler airy place when near- 

 ly ripe. The suckers of these will 

 be ready by the middle or end of 

 the month for being potted into 

 7-inch pots. When potted, plunge 

 in a bottom heat of 90°, and give them 

 plenty of room. Shade for a few 

 hours in the middle of the day, and 

 keep them rather close until the first 

 signs of emitting roots, when they 

 should have a good watering and 

 the shadingbe gradually discontinued. 

 Fruit now swelling off may, if neces- 



sary, be pushed on with a higher 

 temperature than is desirable early in 

 the season. Keep them well supplied 

 with guano-water. Make the most 

 of sun-heat by shutting up early, so 

 that the thermometer touch 90° for a 

 short time, with a thoroughly moist 

 atmosphere. See that the pots are 

 resting firmly in the plunging ma- 

 terial, for if it shrinks from the pots 

 the soil dries sooner, and much more 

 frequent waterings are necessary, 

 which is undesirable. Now is a good 

 time to start a late batch of fruiters 

 for winter ripening. If, according to 

 former directions, these have been 

 kept cooler and drier for a month, all 

 other things being equal, an increase 

 of heat and moisture should now 

 bring them into fruit. 



Grapes. — We would reiterate former 

 directions in reference to all Vines 

 from which the Grapes are gathered, 

 and urge the necessity of keeping the 

 foliage healthy and active to the last. 

 Give them occasional washings with 

 the engine, and see that the borders 

 are not dry. Late Grapes intended 

 to hang late on the Vine should be 

 examined, and if any of the bunches 

 are likely to be too thick, lose no 

 time in removing some of the ber- 

 ries. It is best to thin sufficiently 

 at first, but it sometimes occurs that 

 the rule is not applied to all bunches, 

 and the sooner the defect is remedied 

 the better. If this month should be 

 dry, all Vines swelling off crops 

 should be well watered either with 

 liquid manure, or thorough mulch- 

 ings of rich manure. Many Vines 

 are starved for want of water in 

 warm summers. Leave air on all 

 vineries throughout the night. For 

 night ventilation we prefer closing 

 the top lights and opening the 

 bottom ones. Muscats, even in fa- 

 voured localities as to climate, 

 should still have a little fire-heat at 

 night and on cold cloudy days. As 

 soon as any crop shows first signs of 



